The Trickster's Moon
by Chet-Manley01
Summary: Based on TheEvilDuckofDoom's Challenge. The night after Luna's thousand year banishment, she returns to her duties as Princess of the Night. However, while dreamwalking, she comes across someone in a meeting that will change the fate of both the Nine Realms and her home. Human Ponies/ AU material, please read and review.
1. Thousands of Years in the Making

A very long time ago, people once accepted a simple truth, that they were not alone in this universe. That there were beings of power greater than them, some of great benevolence, others filled with greed and ambition.

Within this time, there were two sister planets in the realm of Midgard, home to Earth, and a planet named Gaia. These two planets housed very similar creatures, and thanks to the assistance of Asgard, who closely associated themselves with Midgard, were very prosperous indeed.

However, the dwarves of Nidavellir, the great weapon smiths of yore, were not pleased by this supposed 'favoritism'. And so, they planned to steal the beloved planets from underneath the feet of the Asgardians, and use the planets, and their resources, to their benefit.

However, Bor, father of Odin, discovered the plot and was able to stop it, but not before the dwarves stole Gaia from its rightful place.

Bor, angered by the dwarves' greed, assaulted their homeworld and brought them to their knees. But when Bor attempted to reclaim Gaia, he found that the dwarves' plan had not succeeded as they had hoped.

The power and device they had built to abduct the planet in the first place had sent Gaia off course, into regions unknown by anyone. He then went on a hunt spanning all of Yggdrasil, but it was of no use.

Gaia, sister of Earth, had been lost forever in the eyes of Bor. However, unbeknownst to the Asgardians, a tenth realm had been made for the purpose of housing this planet. It was a realm undiscovered, unnamed, and unexplored by all. This is the story of how Gaia was found again.

* * *

Over 1000 years ago, there had been a great deal of calamity to befall planet Gaia, but thanks to the sisters Celestia and Luna, guardians of the Celestial bodies of the sun and moon, peace was restored to all lands.

However, peace in any form never comes without a price. And the price for them would be great indeed.

Luna, the younger sister of the two, enjoyed the peace for some time, but soon became dissatisfied with her station. Because her sister was the 'goddess' of the sun, her sister was praised, and the people did much to celebrate the ruler of the day. The night however, was the time when all would sleep.

Unappreciated by her people, and largely ignored by her sister, Luna turned to the dark arts to get the attention she knew she deserved. This is how she learned the arts required to become Nightmare Moon, the most powerful dark mage Gaia had ever seen.

Celestia was ashamed that her negligence of her own sister had led her to this, but at this time, there was no choice. Using the Elements of Harmony, the world's most powerful magic relics, she did the only thing she could think of. Luna was banished to the moon.

But Celestia's curse was not permanent. She knew that in 1000 years time the stars would align, and her sister would return. So, she developed a plan to save her from the dark magic in her veins.

Luna on the other hand, had fragmented her mind. There were now two presences in her skull, one, the penitent Princess Luna who wished for forgiveness and approval, and on the other was Nightmare Moon, an evil mage seeking both a kingdom and vengeance.

When the time had come for her to strike, Nightmare had gained dominance of her mind and began seeking the one thing that could stop her, the Elements of Harmony.

However, this contest was won by Twilight Sparkle and her friends, the new Elements whom Celestia had planned for all these thousand years. Luna had once again gained her dominance and sanity.

1000 years. It had been so long since she had seen her sister face to face, and longer still since they had been together without her jealousy in the way. She lay on the ground, waiting for her sister's punishment.

Celestia, her older sister, walked up to her and said "Princess Luna, it has been a thousand years since I have seen you like this." She was so tall from the point of view of her younger sister.

Luna closed her eyes and prepared for the worst. But something happened then that she did not expect. Celestia got on her knees in front of her younger sister.

She gave her a knowing look and said "It's time we put our differences behind us. We were meant to rule together my sister." Luna looked up and saw her sister's face. There was lingering amounts of regret in her eyes, but there was also a look of sincerity as well.

She got off of her knees and extended her hand. "Will you accept my apology, and my friendship?" She looked back down to the ground and thought for a mere second.

It was everything she had wanted, it was more than she deserved, but she would take it none the less. With tears ready to fall, she hugged her sister tightly. "I'm so sorry! I-I missed you so much big sister."

Celestia's eyes welled with tears as well as she replied "I've missed you too." Behind her, her student and her friends had begun crying, though none so much as the pink haired one known as Pinkie Pie. She was literally crying a river from her eyes.

Soon however, her crying was replaced by wide blue eyes. She then asked "Hey! You know what this calls for?" None of the others responded, though some had an idea of where she was going.

"A PARTY!" she screamed in utter delight. She then started listing off a few things she would need as fast as her mouth would go, which was considerably fast.

Luna was unsure of the idea of a party. How would the people react when a princess of one thousand years ago returned for no apparent reason? Celestia however was on board with it. "Ms. Pie, that sounds like a wonderful idea."

She then turned to her student. "Twilight, why don't you and your friends go on back to Mannburg so you can make preparations for the party? My sister and I will be along with you shortly."

Twilight, a young lavender skinned mage, bowed respectfully to her mentor. "As you wish Princess Celestia. Come on girls, let's go back to Mannburg." The others followed her out, except for Pinkie, who had to be gradually dragged out.

When they were finally out of the room, Celestia's shoulders sagged. Luna wondered what she was doing. "Big sister?" she asked. She made no response.

She tried again. "Tia?" This time, she turned around, and Luna saw what had happened. Celestia's regal mask had fallen from her face, and in the princess' place was her beloved sister once more.

Tears flowed freely from her eyes as she looked at her little sister. "1000 years sister. 1000 years I have waited for this day, and now that it's here, I can hardly think of what to say to you."

She looked down to the ground. "I neglected you back then when I could have stopped all of this from happening. In my love of praise I forgot about my only living family, and I have regretted it ever since then. Can you forgive me of my foolish arrogance?"

Luna felt the tears flow from her eyes. "Tia, I should be the one asking forgiveness. It was I who turned to the dark arts so I would be noticed, I who shunned your attempts to appeal to our family bond."

She walked up to and held onto her sisters arms. "I overreacted to a situation that easily could have been solved by talking to one another. Tia, will you please accept my apology for my reckless anger and jealousy?"

The two sisters brought each other into a hug. Neither was sure what to say, but both of them knew the answer. All was now forgiven, and the past was in the past.

After a good five minutes, Celestia said "Come now sister, now is not the time for tears. Today, we celebrate your return with a great feast in the town of Mannburg. Let us go now and celebrate!" Luna nodded, and they left their old home to the grand forest where it was.

The party in and of itself was of no big importance. Luna did realize one thing however. The townsfolk were very accepting of their princesses' return, and she was grateful for that.

Twilight Sparkle, who apparently had had trouble making friends to this point, was allowed to stay in the Mannburg library so she could stay close to her new friends.

As Luna had learned, this was the roll call of the new Elements of Harmony. Twilight Sparkle, a lavender mage with purple hair, her specialty was that she could use any kind of magic, and as such, she was the Element of Magic.

Pinkie Pie was a pink skinned girl with pink poofy hair. She was the Element of Laughter, and she was one of the most random people you ever did see. She also liked jokes and parties.

Next was Rarity, a white skinned purple haired geode mage. Her specialty was finding gems of any kind or size in any location. She was a fashionista, businesswoman, and the Element of Generosity.

Next there was Fluttershy, and she was from the cloud cities of the angels. All angels have wings on their back, and are extremely good with weather control. She was yellow skinned, and she had pink hair that covered her right eye. She was the Element of Kindness.

Then there was Rainbow Dash, an angel with a need for speed. Her skin was sky blue and her hair was a peculiar multi colored one, with all the colors of the rainbow on it. She was a tomboy and a sports nut, and she was also the Element of Loyalty.

Finally there was Applejack. She was a down to earth type of person with yellow orange skin and blonde hair. She grew up on the local farm and was probably the physically strongest of her friends. She was the Element of Honesty.

'Such an interesting group.' thought Luna. And it was these people that Celestia was entrusting the future of Gaia to? They had barely come together to stop Nightmare Moon at the end, was Celestia making the right decision in trusting these people?

Luna sighed. Perhaps she just needed to have her sister's faith in them. To their credit, it was only the second day since they had actually met each other, and they banded together to stop an evil force and became friends in such a short amount of time.

Celestia suddenly pulled Luna out of her musings and said "Sister, how are you enjoying this party?" Luna shrugged. "It's a little small, but I think it's one of the best parties I've ever been to."

Celestia smiled at that. "I thought you would feel that way my sister. By the way, your old duties have been reinstated. You can raise the moon and walk in the peoples dreams tonight."

Luna dropped the glass she had been holding. "WHAT?!" she asked, completely shocked by the suddenness of her sister's statement.

Celestia looked back to her sister and stated "As princess of Fiore, I hereby reinstate you with the powers taken from you one thousand years ago. As such, tonight you will raise the moon and guard the people's dreams, and tomorrow you will lower the moon. Is that alright with you sister?"

Luna sputtered a bit. "I-i-it's fine, but isn't it a little too soon to do this? Don't I have some kind of road to regaining my powers back?"

The elder put her hand on her shoulder. "Sister, you have suffered long enough. I want you to have your life back now. However, if you feel that you aren't ready to take those duties back, I can hold onto them a while longer."

Luna looked her sister in her eyes and said "Sister, I am both honored and privileged to accept this offer. I will do as you ask." she stated, prostrating herself as she did so.

Celestia raised her arm above Luna's head. "Then by the power vested in me, I, Celestia Faust, princess and Archmage of Fiore, hereby reinstate your power and your title. Arise Luna Faust, princess of Fiore and guardian of dreams."

She arose quickly and hugged her sister tightly. "Thank you sister, this is the greatest day of my life!" Celestia smiled and got out of the hug. "Thank you sister. Now, enjoy the party. It is for you after all."

'Oh I'll enjoy this party, and tonight for the rest of my life!' she thought to herself. 'For the first time in forever, it feels like the good old days, before my jealousy took over. And by Faust, I'll make sure that that never changes!'

* * *

Bored. That was the first word that popped into Loki's mind as he sat at his brother's big dinner party with all the warriors of his successful campaign.

None of the warriors wanted to talk to him. Of course that wasn't that surprising, as one to many a good prank had ruined his reputation with many of the soldiers. Still though, the way they seemed to almost worship Thor was disgusting.

He sighed. Perhaps he was being a bit too jealous. After all, his brother was as much a warrior as the rest of them, so it was reasonable that they would like him better.

Thor was telling the tale of his latest victory. "So there we were in the thick of the action when the thrice damned Skrulls sent out a heavy hitter. I was about to attack it with my full might, but then, it goes after Loki instead."

He laughed. "Poor Loki looked like he was frozen to the ground, so I, like the good brother I am, decided to aid him in his plight. But as soon as I got to him, he vanished and I took an explosion of ice to the face."

Their laughter was booming now, echoing in the spacious room where they feasted. Loki could tell that he had obviously thought that his falling for his brother's trick again was amusing. Still, perhaps he should join in on the conversation, if only to defend himself.

When the laughter died down he spoke. "Well, I had intended that for the giant skrull. Still, it's nice to know that some tricks still work on you brother." The others chuckled and made the "Ooooh!" noise.

Thor smiled. "That may be true brother, but who, despite his brothers logic and his insistence that it was impossible, managed to find the Skrulls' main base?" They all voiced agreement.

Loki tsked. "Ah, but you forget. Who was it who saved his brother and his forces from total annihilation by hiding them from the enemy until reinforcements arrived?" The voices were disjointed, but most voiced agreement.

"True, but who froze his brother on accident and nearly cost us the battle?" Thor asked in his deep voice. Loki chuckled and replied "Well I did obviously. But I did thaw you out of your frozen state afterward, didn't I?"

Thor nodded. "True brother. Well, then, a toast to my brother Loki, without whom victory might not have happened!" The others joined in and drank their mugs to the last drop. Thor then threw his mug onto the ground and yelled "Another!"

This party went on for quite a while. Eventually, Loki left and went towards his chambers. He began thinking on what had been decided in the past few months.

Father had declared that Thor would ascend to the throne. Now, Loki was not mad at his brother for being chosen over him, one of them would always have been left behind by the other.

What had really troubled him was the fact that no matter what Loki did to garner his Father's approval, his brother always seemed to get more of it than him. It truly baffled him how it seemed he could do nothing to get him to see him. Like he was invisible to the All-Father.

"Loki!" Boomed a voice from behind him. His brother had followed him from the party for some unknown reason. "Yes? What do you want Thor?" he asked suspisciously.

He then said "Brother, I know my teasing about father picking me over you has gotten to you more than you would like to admit. I, I want to apologize for my unnecessary roughness these past few months."

Loki was almost shocked to hear him say those words. Then he thought of something that made him laugh. "Ho ho, mother put you up to this didn't she?"

Thor replied "Yes, but that's not the point. The point is, you're my brother and I don't want anything to come between us."

Loki shook his head. "Brother brother, you have once again misread the situation. We've had something in between us ever since we were born. Both you and I have wanted the throne since we were children and you know it."

He then said "But now, father has left his throne to you. So you see there really is nothing in between us now." He then put his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Know that I support your rule and will aid you whenever you ask…"

He then took a mock bow and said "Your Majesty." Thor chuckled at his brother's silliness and patted him on the back. He then replied "That is good to hear. I thank you for your continued support in this matter brother. Now, I'm heading back to the party, I'll see you tomorrow."

As Thor left, Loki called back to him. "Still, there's the chance that you could lose father's favor and end up giving me the throne instead."

Thor turned back to his brother and said "Oh, is that so? And would I be wrong in thinking that you would have something to do with it?" Loki smiled happily and put his finger on his nose. He then said "I'll never tell."

The brothers now laughed heartily with each other. Then Thor left, leaving Loki alone in the spacious hallways. He walked back to his bedroom and began to think.

When he had said that to Thor, he hadn't really considered what he was saying. Still, perhaps there was some way to get his father's favor, albeit underhandedly.

If he could show his brother to be the arrogant headstrong person Loki knew he was, he could certainly sway his father's opinions by showing how unfit to rule Thor was. He loved his brother, but he didn't dare think what would happen if something needing subtlety and trickery would happen under his rule, as it surely would.

Though, his thoughts were not born out of mere practicality. He wanted his father to recognize that he would be the better heir and the better ruler. He wanted his brother's place in the world to be equal to his.

He put his head onto his pillow and pulled the covers over his body. He didn't exactly have an idea quite yet, but he knew that when all was said and done, he would be the king of Asgard. Nothing could stop him, and nothing would change his mind, ever.


	2. Perchance to Dream

Luna felt so exhilirated. This would be the first night of the rest of her life, and she was sure it would be perfect. A small voice in the back of her head said 'Don't get your hopes up girl, plenty could still go wrong before the night is out.' She knew that this was only rational.

Her experience told her to keep her expectations low so that if something bad happened, she wouldn't have her dreams shattered. Still, nothing could lower her excitement for her raising the moon for the first time in 1000 years.

She was currently waiting in the hamlet's town hall awaiting her sister's return. She had gone to Camelot to inform the guards of what had transpired so they would not panic or freak out when she arrived tomorrow.

She sat down at a table and began thinking. If there was one thing that a thousand years of isolation taught you, it was how to keep yourself occupied.

If she were Nightmare Moon still, she would have imagined just how she was going to get her revenge for the wrongs perpetrated against her, but since she was that thing no longer, she instead remembered the good times between her and her sister, and thought about how good it would be to be back.

Before long, her sister returned. "Tia, how did your meeting with the guards go?" she asked. She shrugged her shoulders and replied "They seemed to take the news well sister, though I would watch out for the Captain of the guard, he's a bit overzealous when it comes to his job."

She then put her hand on Luna's shoulder. "But enough of that. It's time that you raise the moon for the night." Luna put her hand on her face. "Goodness is it that time already?" she asked.

Celestia shook her head. "You never did look at clocks did you sister? Come on, let's go." Luna looked at her and asked "Go? Go where?" Her big sister replied "Backstage of course, that's where we walk out of when the ceremony starts." She then grabbed her sister's hand and pulled her along.

"Ooh, I just can't wait for Celestia's announcement tonight! What do you think it will be? Is there going to be a wedding? Is she going to tell us that she's an alien? Is she going to make Twilight a princess and an archmage?! Oh wait, that doesn't happen till season three."

Pinkie Pie was undoubtedly excited for this announcement. Rainbow Dash said "Geez, relax girl. Whatever the princess announces, I'm sure it will be totally awesome."

Twilight then spoke out. "Whatever it is it's bound to be really important, so I think we should pay close attention." Rarity nodded. "I totally agree with you darling."

Applejack then announced "Quiet y'all, here she comes!" And sure enough, on the stage was Princess Celestia in all of her regal glory.

She had skin as white as snow, billowing hair featuring the colors lavender, orchid purple, emerald green and sky blue. Upon her forehead rested a golden crown with a single amethyst cut into the shape of a diamond, and on her neck was a necklace to match her crown. She wore a simple white gown with gold trim.

She raised her hands to the crowd and said "To the people of this great land, I thank you for your unending support and your eagerness to welcome my sister back to her home in Fiore."

She then stated "My sister has been gone for 1000 years, but after the defeat of Nightmare Moon, she has finally come back home. Tonight, here at the end of the Summer Sun Celebration, is my sister's return."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to present to you my sister and your new princess, Luna!" And with that, the lady of the moon stepped out onto the podium. The people applauded her arrival.

Luna was trying her best to hold herself together. 'It'll be alright girl, she isn't asking you to do a speech yet' she thought to herself. 'But everyone else will expect us to say something, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO!?' panicked another part of her mind.

After a few seconds of silence when the applause calmed down, she stammered out "Uh, th-th-th-thank you everyone, I, ugh, I really would like to say, uh, that is I want to express my, ummm…?"

Everyone looked at her strangely for a moment. 'Control yourself girl. Take some deep breaths, close your eyes and clear away those doubts. You've got everything you need; you just need to use it.' She did exactly that, and soon she found her words.

"First off, I would like to thank you for being so gracious to me, even though I am very much a stranger. The Kingdom of Fiore must be a great and loving one indeed if this village is of any indication."

"Second, I would like to say how much of an honor it is that my sister would let me back after such a long time away." She then looked to the ground. "The night I left, I said some things to her, things I never should have said, and that I have regretted ever since, but that is in the past."

"I am here now, and I intend to be the best ruler and the best sister I can be." She looked back to the people. "Finally, since I am certain that you are all tired and in need of rest, Celestia will now lower the sun."

She then turned to her sister, who was smiling. She raised her hands again, and this time, there were marks on her arms turning gold. Her magic then began to work on her celestial body of the sun.

It dipped down lower and lower into horizon until it suddenly disappeared. Then Celestia looked to her sister, giving her a nod. She then reached deep into herself for the magic she knew was still there, even after all this time.

She felt it there and began pulling it from the deep recesses of her magic pool. The moon felt so much heavier after 1000 years, but she was determined to raise it nonetheless.

Soon, the effects of her magic became apparent to her. As the moon went higher and higher into the sky, her magic got stronger and stronger until finally, she left the moon in its rightful place.

Luna breathed the air in. It seemed much sweeter than it had been before, and everything seemed lighter to her. The moon revitalized her magic, and she was getting stronger by the moment.

The princess then looked back to the people and said in a booming voice "Thank you dear subjects for tonight! Goodnight to you all!" She then walked back to the backstage area to await her sister.

It was not long before they were flying back to Camelot, the capital of Fiore and their home. Celestia was riding in a chariot pulled by her angel guards, while Luna was flying on her own.

She loved the nighttime. She always felt so invigorated when the moon was up in the sky, and it began feeling like the first night she raised the moon all over again.

It was not long before they reached the capital. The guards landed the chariot on a terrace attached to the highest tower. Celestia thanked the guards and then sent them off to their other duties.

The sisters walked down the stairs to Celestia's quarters, where Celestia said "This is where I leave for the night dear sister. There is a guest room for you to use for the night." She then looked to the ground and said "Sorry about not preparing a more permanent room for you."

Luna shook her head. "Sister, you have done quite enough for me already. Go and get some rest, you deserve it. I'll be just fine, I'm sure." Celestia smiled. "I know sister. I know. Goodnight Luna, I'll see you tomorrow morning." She then entered into her room and closed the door.

It was at this point Luna remembered that she never asked where the guest rooms were. Luckily, a guard was good enough to take her there ASAP.

She thanked the guard and entered the room. It was fairly simple, with a bed, a mirrored desk, a bedside table and a lamp. It was plenty for what she needed though.

She sat on the floor and closed her eyes, concentrating on finding her center. Her heart steadied, her breathing grew slower and slower and time slowed down the closer she got to it. Then, she found it, and the room disappeared.

When she opened her eyes, she saw before her a sight long awaited. She walked along a path lit by stars as images of things as vastly different as dolphins and elephants filled the space.

This place was the Hall of Dreams, as she liked to call it. Within this place were the dreams of all the people on the planet Gaia, from nightmares to dreams of fortune and beyond.

Her duty was to monitor the people's dreams and, although sparingly, give them advice when needed. She could also change dreams from nightmares to happy ones if she needed or wanted to. This was the job that she felt most appreciated in, even before she became Nightmare Moon.

This dreamwalking ability was something that her family had perfected, and on most nights walking through dreams was safe for the walker. On this night however, something would happen that none could foresee or predict.

Luna, in her excitement and joy of doing her duty, almost didn't notice something. The hallway was far more massive than it should have been, even considering the size and population of the planet.

What was more, the people in these dreams looked stranger and more different the farther she went, with different skin colors, sizes, body shapes and faces. She wondered why she was seeing these things, but her pondering was interrupted by a new dream.

In front of her was the image of a strange looking room that was made entirely of brass. There were hundreds of people in this dreamscape, and there were several in the back center of the room, one sitting upon a beautiful looking throne.

Curious as to what was happening, she entered the dreamscape, not knowing what would await her.

The first thing she noticed was that most of the faces were blurred, aside from a few. The first one she saw was the man in front of the throne. He wore a horned gold helmet, and he wore a green cloak over his gold armor.

His face looked like it was gently smoothed, the only real edges being his nose and his near triangular chin. A smile was plastered onto his face, and it seemed to be one of joy, if his burning blue eyes were of any indication to his mood.

In front of him and on his right side were two people, an older woman and an ancient looking man. The man on the throne wore a golden suit of armor, ornately decorated with symbols and a horned helmet. The woman wore a blue dress with pieces of armor attached to it.

The old man had a grey beard and, oddly enough, a golden eyepatch on his left eye. His eye spoke of an untold wisdom and knowledge from years of experience. His face seemed to show pride.

The woman had auburn hair wrapped in several buns, though a bit of hair stuck out of the back of her head. Her face showed that she was both happy and proud.

And on the left side was a young man with blonde hair and a slight beard. His armor was silver, as was his winged helmet, and he wore blue clothes with a red flowing cape behind him. His face showed that he was delighted.

The older man spoke. "Loki, on this day, you have been chosen to succeed me on the throne of Asgard. Do you solemnly swear to uphold peace within the nine realms?" The one in front of the throne, known as Loki, said "I so swear." His voice sounded like it was honey in audible form.

"Then I, Odin Borrson, king of Asgard, proclaim you Loki Odinson to be my rightful heir." The crowd started clapping and cheering for him.

Loki turned to the crowd and smiled. Then, the blonde man came up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. "Congratulations on getting the throne brother. I guess you were always the right man for the job after all."

Loki nodded. "It's true brother. Still though, I will need someone to look after all of the armed forces, and you are more a warrior than a ruler any way. So what do you say, will you lead Asgard's forces under my command?"

He smiled and replied "Brother, I'd be honored to." They both looked to the crowd and smiled fiercely. But then something happened.

Loki's smile changed into a look of disappointment. The crowds stopped where they were and all was silent. "It's too bad this is all a dream." he stated.

Luna felt shock running through her body. He _knew_ it was a dream? No one had ever been able to know that it was a dream without someone telling them. If he knew, then this could mean trouble.

Suddenly, the images of the people turned from 3d to 2d. His eyes shot upward to look straight at her. Then, the throne room melted out of existence, replaced by what looked like outer space.

She was alone with him. He looked intrigued and asked "Well well well, what do we have here?"

The woman before him certainly looked beautiful. She was intriguing to say the least, with flowing blue hair with violet streaks and cobalt skin, she certainly didn't look like anyone else he'd seen. Her face was smooth, ending in a triangular chin, and she had a small nose which turned upright at the end.

'She looks cute' thought Loki to himself. But then, he thought 'I wonder how she got into my mind like this? I'm the one who messes with people's heads here.'

He then continued his outer monologue. "You're not a frost giant, that much is certain. Neither are you a dark or light elf, a dwarf, one of the Vanir, an Asgardian, or a fire giant. So the questions remain, who are you, and what are you doing here?"

Luna seized up. There was certainly something strange about the man talking to her. She had heard of a place called Asgard once before, but that was part of old wives tales and ancient legends.

Asgard, according to legend, was run by Bor the all father, creator and protector of the universe. If that was the case, and the man in front of her was an Asgardian, then why had she not seen The All Father? Had this man been messing with her mind the entire time?

Suddenly, Loki snapped his fingers. "You're a dream walker." he stated. He had a look of surprise on his face.

"Is that so surprising?" she asked to her interrogator. He chuckled. "If only you had some idea. Mother told me that the Vanir long ago had such abilities, but it's a long lost art now. If you know how to do it, then you must have had training in Vanir techniques."

She looked at him for a second, fuming at him. "Now you see here, my magic was not taught to me by one of these Vanir, as you so call them! It has been a part of me since I was born, and I am not a force to be trifled with!"

Loki was taken aback for a moment. Suddenly, he smiled. "Well, it looks like the beauty has teeth after all." Luna felt a blush on her cheeks. How could she let this man contort her feelings like that? It was unprofessional.

He then said "Very well, I guess I'll start off introductions. My name is Loki Odinson, I am the prince of Asgard, though you probably already heard that bit already." He waited for a few seconds before talking again.

"Well, I've given you my name, it's only fair you give me yours." She paused for a few minutes. Should she tell him who she was? Would she be in danger of she did?

The prince then said "Oh come on, I'm not going to bite you if that's what you're worried about." He gave her a big smile. "Does this look like the face of a liar to you?"

In all honesty, it did look like that to her. Still, she decided to bite the bullet and tell him. After all, he didn't live on Gaia that was for certain. Any and all trouble would be long in the coming, leaving much time to prepare for whatever came because of it.

"Very well Prince Loki. My name is Princess Luna of the kingdom of Fiore." Loki looked around for a minute, until he asked "Fiore is unfamiliar to me, where is that planet exactly?"

She shook her head. "Fiore's not the planet. The planet's name is Gaia."

Loki turned pale white when he heard that name. "What did you say?" he asked. She then irritatedly asked "Did I mumble that last part? I said I was from the planet Gaia. Is there something wrong with that?"

He looked at her incredulously for a moment. But then he started to smile. "Oh, I see what you're doing. You must think that throwing the name of some long gone planet will throw me off of your scent. Unfortunately for you, you're wrong."

She kept shaking her head. "I'm telling you the honest truth, though it's your choice to believe me or not. Now, while this certainly may be an interesting conversation, I have a duty to my subjects. Farewell Loki of Asgard, may we meet again."

As she turned to leave, he teleported back in front of her. "Hold on, how do I know that you didn't just enter my mind to steal sensitive information from my mind?"

She stared him straight in the eye. Her voice started in a dangerously low tone. "Before tonight, I never even knew that you existed, and now you accuse me of having ill will against you? I can assure you that I have no evil intentions for you, your family, or your kingdom. I have no ill will against anyone! Please, why are you so untrustworthy of me?"

Her tone of voice had turned into one of pleading at the end. He could tell that she was telling the truth, no one that angered and annoyed would bother lying in this situation, at least not without letting something slip.

"Well, perhaps it's time that I let you go. You certainly don't seem to be lying, and it would be nice to get back to a peaceful rest. Go on home to Gaia, if that really is where you're from. And by the way, try not to enter my head unannounced if you plan to do so again."

She nodded and thanked him. As she left his dreamscape however, she heard him say "See you around, cutie."

It was at this point that she exited his dream. Luna looked back and saw his dream had disappeared from her view. She also saw that other dreams were disappearing as well. She must have been in his mind most of the night, for the people were waking up.

Quickly, she exited out of her trance state and checked the time. It was 5:30 am, and the moon was almost below the horizon. She quickly exited the room and took flight to her sister's chambers.

Before she got there, she saw her sister up and awake. She had a cup of what looked like coffee in her hand. Taking a sip, she saw her sister walking towards her. "Sister, how was your first night back on the job?" she asked.

Luna, after thinking a moment, replied "Well, let's just say I met some very interesting people tonight for the first time."

Celestia smiled and said "Well then, I hope you get to meet them in person sometime soon. Come, it is time for the sun to rise on a new dawn." With that, Luna ended the first night of the rest of her life, unaware of the change in the winds of fate that she had just made.


End file.
